Tiny spectrometer turns smartphone into molecular analyst

Telecommunications

The Changhong H2 is a new smartphone that integrates material sensing technology to allow users to analyze the contents of almost any substance with a simple scan.

The Changhong H2 material sensing smartphone is a collaboration between Analog Devices Inc (ADI), Consumer Physics and Sichuan Changhong Electric Co. (Changhong). Changhong is a leading supplier of consumer electronics, and Consumer Physics provided the breakthrough SCiO scanning sensor and app. The sensor allows users to scan any material for information on its molecular make-up.

Whether scanning liquids, body parts, food or medicines, the smartphone sensor opens a new realm of understanding. As more users upload images, Consumer Electronics’ smart SCiO Workshop app algorithms get stronger and more intelligent and the international database of molecular data grows. Once a sample of water contaminated by fracking has been analyzed, anyone will be able to quickly and easily test water in their area. This means it will get increasingly difficult for companies to hide rogue ingredients in products such as shampoos and make-up, and to hide the provenance of fresh produce.

From health to shipping fruit, micro sensors are changing the ways the world is understood. A new vest detects epileptic seizures before they occur, giving the wearer time to prepare and access help. For producers, importers and exporters, a new embedded temperature sensor provides on-demand, real-time information on the status of worldwide shipments of fresh fruit. How else could waste be reduced and sustainability improved through the use of new sensing technology?